An Unlikely Asset
by book.lover1123
Summary: Clint Barton is one of the best operatives in SHIELD and as such he's sent to protect a U.S. Ambassador in Russia. However, when a certain blonde enters the room, his hawk eyes zero in on the fact that she has a secret to hide. A first meeting one shot (might turn into a longer fic) between Clint and Natasha.


_So, an idea popped into my head long before the whole Bruce & Natasha thing (back when I had no qualms about _

_shipping Clintasha. I'm seriously conflicted now though. I like Clint's family and Auntie Nat...). It was supposed to_

 _be a Clintasha origin story, however, I think that this still works as a oneshot for how they met. I kinda based my_

 _view off of a mixture of the films and the comics, as well as a few other fics on here. I liked the idea of Clint bringing_

 _her in against everyone's wishes because he saw himself in her. Anyways! Hope you enjoy this! Not sure if I'm just_

 _keeping this a oneshot, or doing more, so let me know your opinions in the comments!_

Clint Barton never liked to be in the thick of things. That was why he always chose a vantage point that gave him easy access to his target as well as keep him hidden and above the crowd. He didn't have the codename of Hawkeye for nothing. This night was no different as he had chosen his look out point on the roof of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow looking down at the ballroom through the glass skylights. His bow was at the ready resting lightly on the glass with one arrow's tip poking through the quarter size hole he had cut earlier that day. No one would be able to try anything tonight. Not on his watch.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had gotten reports of an attempt on the Ambassador's life here in Russia and sent Barton to investigate. After coming up with absolutely nothing he had been stuck on babysitting duty. If tonight went off without a hitch he was off to South America to take down a weapons manufacturer. Thank heavens for guys with guns. All this sitting around, waiting for something to happen when you know it never will was starting to get on his nerves.

The party was well under way with guests still arriving when he noticed something off. There was a woman there. A blonde woman. Not unusual for Russia of course but this one, this one he didn't recognize from the photos of the guest invites.

"Base this is Barton. Do you copy?"

"Loud and clear Agent."

"I've got a guest just arriving that was not on the list. Can I get a confirmation of her identity?" He asked. "Blonde, red dress, at the bar three seats from the south end."

"Copy that. Getting her credentials now."

Barton watched the woman as she seemed completely at ease. She looked and acted as if she belonged there. But she didn't, and Barton knew it.

"Alexa Manatov. P.H.D. in political science from the University of Moscow, several awards for her publications. Spent three years in the Middle East helping to negotiate changes in government. She's clean Agent Barton."

Barton shook his head in disagreement but said nothing about it. "Copy that." He didn't care what her papers said she was. This was not his first time taking down an assassin. Thought they varied, he knew what one could and would do to get into good graces before they pulled the trigger. He had done it himself before. He watched the woman carefully, barely glancing at the door at the other arriving guests. This was the person he had been sent to take care of. He was certain of it.

But she sat there for at least an hour before she moved. And then it was only because a very drunk politician approached her for a dance. She accepted with a smile on her face and placed her hand in his. She was good. Very good. That smile would have fooled everyone else but not Barton.

She glided across the dance floor following her dancing partner's movements. But Barton noticed a nearly imperceptible change in her posture. There was a tightness in her shoulders that hadn't been there before. She laughed, turning her head away from her partner in a shy gesture, but Barton caught the flicker of her gaze, back over her shoulder. He followed her line of sight and saw the Ambassador.

Clint half grinned at his discovery. He was glad he hadn't lost his touch when it came to spotting the target. The song ended and the blonde excused herself, slowly making her way back to the bar. She grabbed a shot of vodka and downed it in seconds, then turned around and headed back across the room, slowly and not in a direct route. She staggered a few times, feigning drunkenness and Clint scoffed. She bumped into one of the Ambassador's guards and started apologizing all over herself. She seemed to be genuine and shook his hand in appreciation at his catching her. Then she began to exit the room.

The SHEILD agent's forehead furrowed in confusion. If she was there to take out the Ambassador why was she leaving now? Hundreds of scenarios ran through his head, a bomb being the foremost on the list. He scanned the crowd and bar for any signs of tampering. He even turned on his thermal goggles to check under the bar stool she had been sitting on. But there was nothing. He was about to call it in when he saw the guard she had run into. He was headed straight for the ambassador.

"All personal hold your position! The area has been compromised. I repeat hold your position!" He shouted into his comm.

He waited just long enough to make sure that they halted and then scurried off the roof while continuing his orders.

"We've got a bodyguard with either an explosive device or poison on him. Check the one nearest the ambassador. I'm going after the girl."

"What? We checked her! She's clean!" The agent he was paired with exclaimed.

Barton sighed as he slid into the shadow of one of the chimneys. He took a moment to look for the red dress in the crowd of people outside the mansion. "Assassins don't work in the field without a solid backstory." He replied curtly.

"Yeah but-"

He finally spotted her and slid the rest of the way down the roof to where his grappling arrow and rope were, still talking as he went. "She stumbled into the guy on purpose. She hadn't even drunk enough to make her slightly tipsy. She shook his hand after he caught her. Check his jacket, his pockets, heck even his hands I don't care but get that guy out of the room!" He zipped down the rope, his fingerless gloves protecting his hands from the burns that would have inevitably followed.

"Are you-"

Clint finally had had enough. "Coulson, get this rookie out of my ear and handle him or so help me I will turn off my comm!"

"Copy that." Coulson's terse voice sounded through his earpiece.

Clint started running after the blonde woman just as she ducked out of his sight. He cursed and picked up the pace. He dodged oncoming tourists and weaved through the foot traffic of the street. He looked down the street he had seen her turn onto and saw a flash of red turning the next corner. He slid slightly on the snowy sidewalk and hurried onto the darker street. The chase was lasting longer than he had hoped. She must have seen him coming after her and taken off.

"Barton, we have a problem."

Clint turned down another side street following the clear path she had left in the snow with her heels. "I'm a little busy here Phil!" He hissed.

"She's from the Red Room."

Clint let out a trail of expletives and ran faster. "You told me we took care of that!"

"Apparently there was another faction that the council didn't know about. But she was on their list when we took down the site in Sarajevo. Hers was the highest hit list of the group. We thought she died in the explosion."

"Yeah well she's alive and kicking!" Clint replied angrily as he scaled one of the fences in the alley.

"You've got new orders. Take her down."

"What do you think it is I'm doing out here?!"

What happened next he should've seen coming. All he knew was that he had been clotheslined by something and was lying flat on his back. He barely had a chance to react before a fist came slamming down towards his face. He grabbed the fist and twisted it back around the body it was attached to. He used the pull of his attacker struggle against him to get to his feet again.

He knew who he was fighting even before her hair and face gave her away. He blocked the elbow she had aimed in the direction of his ribs. She used his distraction to whirl away and face him. She started into a roundhouse kick that he ducked under. He grabbed onto her extended leg and tried to throw her off balance but she just used his grip as a launching pad into another kick with her other leg. This one he was unable to block and the sharp snap of his neck to the side left him stunned enough to let go of her. She took off up a fire escape ladder and was darting up the stairs almost before he had a chance to blink.

He cursed again, climbing the ladder as quickly as he could then took the stairs two at a time. He heard her now, barely but she was there. She was trying to get to the roof. He smiled. He always was better with heights.

When he reached the roof she had already hidden herself. Clint snapped open his bow and pulled an arrow from his quiver silently notching it in the string. He kept as low to the ground as possible while running across to the nearest air vent. He stayed behind it while reaching for one of his extra tips. He threw it over the side of the vent and into the open area of the roof. He activated it and it waited. He saw a shadow move out of the corner of his eye and turned that direction. She was hiding behind the air vent directly beside him. Both of them realized this at the same time but Barton acted faster. He let his arrow fly just as the single tip exploded with enough force to send them both reeling. Barton took the opportunity to roll away from the vent and behind an electrical box. He heard the popping of gunfire and ducked down. The bullets collided with the other side of the box send out sparks from the highly charged equipment.

Instead of trying to shoot around the box he shot an arrow straight into the air. She saw it and shot it down but not before Barton was able to get to his feet and fire another arrow knocking the gun out of her hands, clattering to the gravel roofing behind her. She crouched down and threw out two circular weapons. Barton didn't know what they were but he did not want to find out. He rolled away from the electrical box just as the weapons released a kind of taser burst. It lit up the box like a Christmas tree and Clint was covered in a hot shower of sparks. He lifted his arm to protect his eyes but when he heard the telltale click of a loaded gun he knew he had made a very big mistake.

"Who are you and who do you work for?!" She growled.

Clint chuckled. She was good. Very good. But he had a few cards of his own to play. He made an act brushing the snow off his hair and activated his comm at the same time. The line crackled and he heard Coulson start to talk on the other end but he overrode him."I'm part of an independent security company." He replied with a heavy Russian accent.

"Not surprising. How did you find me?"

"We received a tip that one of the Widows would be attempting to assassinate the U.S. Ambassador tonight. Apparently many people want you dead."

"A tip? From who?"

"He did not say his name only that he was certain that you would be poisoning the ambassador. It was a unique poison and method of delivery. Now what was the name?" He paused as if he was thinking for the name.

Coulson's voice responded quickly to his signal. "Tetrodotoxin. She used a microscopic needle that she placed on the agent's hand."

"Ah yes it was Tetrodotoxin and quite the performance with the delivery. Very wise to place the blame on someone other than yourself. I am certain that secret service agent will be spending the majority of his life in a lovely prison cell."

The blonde woman swore in Russian. "That lying son of a-" She glared down at Clint. "You tell him that I'm through. We had an agreement. I do this job and then we're done."

The surprise that Clint felt was not mirrored in his actions. He laughed again. "You? Through with the Red Room? You and I both know there is only one way out of there. Not unless you're in a body bag."

Her eyes narrowed and she shot the ground between his legs, far too close to a certain area of his body for his comfort. "Widows don't leave the Red Room in a body bag unless it's got a SHIELD logo on it. You just gave yourself away Agent." She stepped closer so he could feel the heat of the gun barrel on his skin. "So, you work for Nick Fury. Good. It'll be that much more of a pleasure to kill you now."

Her proximity had made it easier for Clint to knock her feet out from her and flip her onto her stomach with the hand that held the gun behind her back. He jerked the gun from her grasp and jumped away from her, aiming the barrel at her head.

She chuckled, just as he had a few moments ago and got to her knees. "I do have to admit it was kinda cute the way you fell for that 'I want to get out' crap." She tried to sound defeated but Clint knew that she was anything but. He cocked the gun and would have fired except for the crease that he saw forming between her closed eyes. She was afraid. Afraid to die.

"Yeah, I fell for it. Which tells me a part of it, no matter how small, was actually true." He stated. She just glared at him in silence.

" _Barton take the shot."_

He nearly fired a second time but looking at her face, he realized something. She was young, younger than he had been led to believe by the files they had on her. He looked over her small frame and his heart twisted. She probably wasn't even eighteen.

He cursed into his comm. "She's just a kid Coulson!"

" _Our sources say she's at least twenty years old._ "

"Yeah well your sources are wrong!"

Even though she was looking directly at him and her face was showing a slight irritation at his comments, he could see a glimmer of fear and pain in her eyes. Deep down she was just as frightened as he had been, when Coulson had caught up to him.

"Screw this!" He exclaimed under his breath. He reached up to his ear to shut off his comm.

" _Barton! You shut that receiver off and so help me-!"_ Click.

He turned back to the girl in front of him. "Do you want to live?"

She stared at him confused.

"I said do you want to live?!" He growled.

Her lips flattened into a hard line. She wouldn't beg for her life.

He swore again. "Here's my deal. You come back to SHEILD with me, as an asset, and you never have to go back to… whoever it was you work for now. You never have to worry about them again. SHEILD has protection. You would never have to even think about them again."

"What makes you think I want to leave the position I have now?" She growled.

Clint leaned down to her level. "Because I see the exact same thing that I saw in myself the day I was facing down the barrel of SHEILD's gun. You want to live. You want out. You want freedom. Can you get any of that from the guys you're working for now?"

"And what kind of freedom is SHEILD handing out? A padded cell in a federal prison somewhere in the desert? No thanks." She replied flatly.

"No, I'm talking about a field agent status. You go on the same missions you go on now but with no death threat over your head if you should fail. I know what you'll face when you go back and tell them you failed to kill the ambassador."

Whatever color her skin had was washed out by the fear that rushed over her. "What?"

"I was watching. I stopped the agent before he even got to the ambassador's table. You didn't kill him. He's still alive. Now what would your bosses say to that? Would you get a second chance at it or would you get a bulls-eye on your back? Come with me and you never have to find out."

She shook her head angered at his interference. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?"

"Yeah I have a pretty good idea that I just saved a man's life."

"You arrogant-" She lunged at him but he was ready for her. He crouched down and she sailed over his back tumbling to the ground. He whirled around and trained the gun on her again.

"So what's it going to be? Death by the hands of your bosses or a chance to start over. I can promise three full meals a day and a soft bed. Can you top that?"

Before she could respond, Clint's watch started beeping loudly. He ignored it, already knowing what it was. "In about one minute my handler will be here to extract me. Either you leave now or you come with me. Your choice."

"You'd let me walk away?" She asked incredulously.

He shrugged. "No need to worry about killing you. You go back to your bosses and you're dead anyways."

She was surprisingly silent. He could see the gears working in her head, figuring out the most logical choice. He had done it that night too. He had weighed his options, thought of how he might get out of the situation entirely, but in the end he knew he need to take the offer.

"I've been where you're at. You feel trapped. You have nowhere else to go and no one to protect you even if you did. You know there'll be a target on your back for the rest of your life if you try to leave without help. If you come with me now I promise that no one in the organization will hurt you, no one will be threatening you. They'd have to get through me first."

Clint heard the sound of the chopper coming closer. They didn't have much time left. But she was thinking. She was really thinking about it.

"What have you got to lose?"

She finally looked up at him. He could see the weariness in her eyes, the pain that all the killing had brought. She nodded. It was small, but it was enough.

The chopper appeared behind Clint and would have fired on the girl but Barton threw himself in front of her. He could feel the astonishment radiating off of her thin frame. No had done that for her before, he was sure of it. But he would think about that later. Right now he had to convince his handler that she had taken their side.

"Agent Barton you better have a da-" Coulson yelled as he exited the chopper but was cut short as he saw the assassin behind his number one agent. "What the- Barton! I told you to take the shot!"

"Yeah and I made a different call! She's coming with us! I promised her amnesty. " He replied with a firm voice.

Coulson was more than irritated now. He was downright angry. "You can't just go around making deals with assassins on SHIELD's most wanted list!"

"Why not? You did."

"Don't you dare throw that in my face! I had permission from HQ that I could offer you a deal!"

Clint's arms folded across his chest. "Yeah but you offered me a heck of a lot more than SHIELD said you could."

"Yeah but I knew they would listen to reason! In this case I'm pretty sure they won't be as lenient!"

"What you want me to just let her go?! They're gonna kill her Phil! Once they find out that the Ambassador is still alive, and they probably already have, they're gonna shoot her down in cold blood. Are you gonna be the one to send her back into that?!"

Couslon glared at him and then at the girl behind him. Clint looked over his shoulder to see that she was glaring right back. He would have laughed to see someone stand up to Coulson like that. She had guts.

"You will take full responsibility for her actions. If she makes a mess at base you're the one who cleans it. She slips up, you take the heat. You ready for that Barton? You ready for the Council to be breathing down your neck with every step she takes? Cause that's what you're gonna get bringing her back."

"I understand." Clint replied resolutely.

Coulson looked between the two once again and then threw his hands up in the air and stalked back to the chopper mumbling to himself. Clint grinned and turned to the girl. "You ready to join SHIELD Ms...?"

"Natasha. Natasha Romanoff."

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